Ex-Thompson School District paraprofessional arrested on child porn possession accusations

Kelly Lyell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read
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A former Thompson School District paraprofessional has been accused of possessing child sexual abuse images, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said Friday in a news release.

Joseph Major, 27, of Loveland was arrested Thursday on accusations he possessed multiple video and photographic images of children, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators executed a search warrant of Major’s home Nov. 29, the news release said. Major, who had worked for the Thompson School District since August 2015 at four different schools, resigned that day, a school district spokesperson said in an email.

Major was in the Larimer County Jail and appeared virtually at an advisement hearing Friday afternoon, where his bond was set at $100,000 by Larimer County Magistrate Jeffrey Schwartz with stipulations that he avoid contact with all children under the age of 18, not possess any devices that allow him to access the internet and prohibit his use of drugs or alcohol. Schwartz referred to two felony counts of sexual exploitation of children during the advisement hearing. Formal charges against Major did not yet appear in online court records.

His next court appearance was scheduled for Dec. 20 before 8th Judicial District Chief Judge Susan Blanco at the Larimer County Justice Center.

The investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said, and investigators are asking anyone with information about inappropriate or concerning behavior involving Major to contact Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Justin Atwood at 970-498-5143. Those wishing to remain anonymous can also report tips through Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or www.stopcriminals.org, the news release said.

Joseph Major
Joseph Major

Major was working at Peakview Academy at Conrad Ball in Loveland, a school serving students from preschool through eighth grade, this fall. His job responsibility was to provide support for social emotional learning, the school district spokesperson said. Major previously worked at Thompson School District's Sarah Milner Elementary School from 2016-2019, Garfield Elementary School from 2019-2020 and Monroe Elementary School from 2021 through spring 2023.

School District officials have offered their full support and cooperation in the case, the sheriff's office said in the news release.

“These kinds of cases aren’t easy, from a technological or emotional standpoint,” Sheriff John Feyen said in the release. “I’m grateful for our investigators who work in this challenging space to protect children and prevent future harm.”

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Former Thompson School District paraprofessional arrested